Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:55 — 34.3MB)
In the U.S., chronic health conditions in children are on the rise. According to a June 2019 study in the journal Pediatrics, 1 in 5 children has a chronic illness that affects their daily function. If your kid is always sick and has conditions like ear and sinus infections, chronic runny noses and colds, allergies, eczema, reflux, asthma, and constipation, chances are, you’ve been running from doctor to doctor and trying different solutions all to no avail.
In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Sheila Kilbane, a board-certified pediatrician— who also trained in integrative medicine—and the best-selling author of the new book, Healthy Kids, Happy Moms: 7 Steps To Prevent and Health Common Childhood Illnesses.
We talk about inflammation and gut health as the drivers of chronic illnesses, signs your kid may have high levels of inflammation, and the role that diet plays in preventing and treating chronic illnesses. We also talk about nutritional deficiencies in kids, picky eating, the best vitamins and supplements, and simple ways to make healthy eating a family affair.
Welcome
3:45 Tell us a bit about your story and what led you to pediatric integrative medicine!
8:11 What are the most common ailments you see in kids?
9:10 Why are chronic conditions in kids on the rise?
17:08 What is inflammation and what role does it play in kids’ health?
20:52 What research did you uncover about inflammation and gut health?
23:47 What are the signs a child may have high levels of inflammation?
25:02 What role does diet play in preventing and treating chronic conditions?
28:46 Pediatricians get only about 24 hours of nutrition education. Do you think more doctors are trying to learn about as food as medicine?
32:17 Where can parents find someone other than a pediatrician to help?
34:24 What are some common nutritional deficiencies kids have?
39:24 Can picky eating be a sign of nutritional deficiencies?
40:50 Can you highlight the main ideas of the 7 Steps to Healthy Kids Happy Moms program?
42:53 Many parents struggle with food allergies. Can they be treated with food and supplements?
45:08 As parents, we all know our kids should eat healthy but there are so many barriers. How can we make it easier?
47:15 What are some of your favorite recipes in the book?
LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW
Dr. Kilbane mentions the EWG study which showed newborns have 200 chemicals in their cord blood.
Dr. Kilbane mentions The University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine and The Institute for Functional Medicine
Get a copy of Healthy Kids, Happy Moms: 7 Steps To Prevent and Health Common Childhood Illnesses.
Learn more about Dr. Sheila Kilbane on her website and follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
FROM OUR PARTNERS
Kids Cook Real Food eCourse
The Kids Cook Real Food eCourse, created by a mom of 4 and a former elementary school teacher, is designed to build connection, confidence, and creativity in the kitchen. The course includes 30 basic cooking skills, 45 videos including several bonuses, printable supply and grocery shopping lists, and kid-friendly recipes. The course is designed for all kids ages 2 to teen and has three different skill levels. More than 18,000 families have taken the course and The Wall Street Journal named it the #1 cooking class for kids. Sign up now for the Kids Cook Real Food ecourse and get a free lesson for being a “Food Issues” listener.
Thrive Market
Thrive Market is an online membership-based market that has the highest quality, organic, non-GMO, healthy, and sustainable products. From groceries, clean beauty, safe supplements, and non-toxic home products to ethical meat, sustainable seafood, clean wine, and more, Thrive Market is where members save an average of $32 on every order! Through Thrive Gives, every paid membership sponsors a free one for a low-income family. Join Thrive Market today and get 25% off your first order and a free gift.
Vitamix
Unlike other blenders, the Vitamix blends everything up into a super-smooth consistency, much like a juicer would, except you get all the nutritious fiber that regular juicers leave behind. Yet Vitamix is for so much more than smoothies. Every Vitamix has an entire range of textures to choose from so you can use it to make dips and spreads, nut and seed butters, hummus and guacamole, muffins, pizza dough, plant-based milk, and frozen treats. Vitamix has been around for 70 years and all of their blenders are powerful, durable, and built to last, and come with a full warranty. Get free shipping off any Vitamix purchase over $50.